


Mandatory Breaks

by MsJuri



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 10:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13521897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsJuri/pseuds/MsJuri
Summary: William is all settled in to pull another office all-nighter, but Grell is rather insistent he take a break.





	Mandatory Breaks

William hunched over his desk which was covered in files and papers, stacked high with forms and reports. He scribbled his signature across the bottom of a page, then lifted a large stamp to slam down upon it, leaving a bright red mark of authorization bearing William's managerial number. He placed the page in a stack and pulled over another, beginning all over again. He seemed quite absorbed in his work, which he normally was. Though, he seemed quite more so than usual at the moment, as he was actively trying not to acknowledge the red-head who refused to leave the room.

Grell rapped his fingers against the arm of the chair in front of William's desk, watching his supervisor with a distant unamused expression, his cheek resting on the fist of his other hand with his legs daintily crossed.” Aren't you done yet?”

The question was met with nothing more than the scribble of the pen and gentle thump of the stamp as William only continued to sign and mark pages in silence.

“... William?”

No response.

“William!?” Grell pouted once he realized he was being deliberately ignored. He stood, approaching the desk to loom over Will with a disapproving glare. His stern expression faded back to a pout after a few moments when it gained him no acknowledgment at all. 

The red-head gave a sigh and decided to amuse himself until William was done. He eyed a pretty little silver rolodex bearing black cards with white writing. Lazily, he reached for it with one hand, a gloved finger extended to give the little device a spin. 

Kishhwiick!

Grell jerked his hand back from the sudden appearance of William's clipper scythe between him and the rolodex.

“Don't touch it.”

Grell blinked up at William with large eyes before holding his head high and folding his arms,” Well, what is it even there for if it can't be touched?” He feigned offense at having been spoken to so scoldingly, but he was actually quite glad to have finally been addressed.

William retracted his scythe, replacing it by his side with a stern grumble,” Don't touch anything.”

Grell frowned, shifting his arms prissily as he eyed William. He watched as a few more papers got their authorization and he soon found it much too hard to be patient. The crimson shinigami gave a little wriggle of his hips as he whined pathetically,”I'm bored! I don't wanna stay here anymore! Let's go, William!”

“Then go home.” William replied bluntly, scrawling signatures all the while. “There's no reason for you to stay.”

Grell only pouted more at the response. He glared at William with an offended look, his arms folding delicately across his chest as if shielding himself,” You would have a lady walk home by herself? You're the worst kind of man, you really are!”

William rolled his eyes privately, long since desensitized from Grell's identity issues,” Grell, you are a shinigami with an issued Death Scythe. If on your way home you encounter something you require additional protection from, then you don't deserve to be a Reaper in the first place.”

“Well, all I've got are these little things,” Grell leaned across the desk, summoning his little trimming scissors and snipping them in the air for demonstration. “Maybe if I had my chainsaw again I would feel safe walking home by myself.” The red-haired shinigami leaned closer with bright eyes and a hopeful look.

William ignored the comments. He'd already told Grell that he was finished discussing that issue for the day. “Grell, just go home. You've been here bothering me all day.”

The red one frowned, huffing a bit as his scissors vanished for safe keeping, stamping a foot with his fists clenched at his sides,” What about you? You've been here even longer than I have! You haven't even taken a break! It's time to go home, Will. The papers will still be here in the morning.”

William ignored the request. He responded only with his usual sour look of seriousness and the scribble of pen and thump of stamp.

Grell waited patiently for an answer, his eyes growing a little sad and distant when he didn't receive one after several long and heavy minutes of silence. He watched William continue the monotony of the paperwork stack.

Grell took in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh, hands on his hips as he made his way around to Will's side of the desk, his red coat swishing a little with his walk,” Okay, fine. Let me help, then. You sign and I'll stamp. It'll go a little faster.” The whine had left Grell's voice, and the offer was calm and gentle rather than annoyed and pushy. Even so, to his surprise the stamp was snatched away as soon as he reached for it.

“That's a ridiculous suggestion! You're not qualified to give authorization to assignment forms.” William scoffed, holding the tool out of Grell's reach.

Grell seemed sincerely taken aback by the response, and he wore an expression of confused bewilderment before annoyance and anger bubbled back up,” What does it matter!? It's just a stamp! You're signing them anyway, so couldn't I put the stamp on? It's not like the stamp even really matters! Can't you just think of me as your secretary or something?”

William 'tsk'ed softly and shook his head,” It's absolutely out of the question. If you were to stamp these documents it would be considered Unauthorized Authorization, and it would only cause more work in the end. I suppose it's impossible for someone like you to understand.”

Grell's eyebrow twitched a bit, detecting the hint of scathing in the phrase 'someone like you'. He pouted slightly and folded his arms to simply glare for a while as he thought things over. William calmly went back to his rhythmic routine. Grell considered for a moment simply going home, but he couldn't let himself give in quite so easily. He hated the idea of William pulling another triple shift and working himself to second death while he went home to relax. He was tired of William trudging home each night over-worked and alone, and tonight Grell had vowed the two of them would leave together.

The red-head's annoyed expression slowly softened, his lips turning upward in a mischievous smile as an idea struck him. He held in a chuckle as he crept to stand casually beside William. As expected the other shinigami pretended he wasn't even there. Grell's smile spread and he couldn't help but let out a bit of a giggle as he snatched William's glasses from his face and frolicked swiftly away with bright eyes and a proud laugh.

“Give them back!!” William erupted after a small stunned silence. He stood abruptly, groping frantically in the direction Grell had been in.

Grell was already halfway across the room, grinning like a cheshire cat with the spectacles in hand and watching William flail blindly,” Over here, William! If you want them, you'll have to catch me! ~<3” He giggled and blew a little kiss even though it wouldn't be seen, then scampered to his right to dart beside a bookshelf.

William rushed toward the sound of Grell's voice and tripped over a chair in the process, landing himself on the floor. He scowled when he heard the resulting twitter of laughter that came from the hidden red-head. He righted himself quite gracefully, trying his best to appear sophisticated and presentable even when blind as a bat. He wrinkled his nose with an irritated 'tsk'.

“Tasteless. To play such childish games with a shinigami's glasses.”

Grell frowned as he stepped out of his hiding spot, a hand on his hip as he held his head up with his own little scoff,” Well, I think it's tasteless to take everything so seriously all the time. If you do nothing but work day and night, Will, that sour look will be stuck on your face forever.” Grell glanced toward William just in time to duck out of the way of a flying book. The book hit the wall behind him and fell to the floor with a flutter of pages. The red-head pouted a bit as he eyed the haphazard manual on the floor,” No need to get so rough.” 

Before he could look up William had taken advantage of his distraction and descended upon him, seizing Grell by the wrist and holding him by it like an uncooperative child,” Return my glasses immediately.”

Grell blinked up at William with large green eyes, glancing around hesitantly before slipping the glasses into his pants pocket with his free hand. He slowly held up the now empty hand, glad that William's current blindness allowed for such a simple trick.” Look here. I don't even have them any more. Now, if you want them back you're going to have to be nicer to me. Treat me more gently.”

William seemed reluctant at the idea, seeming to consider a bit before releasing Grell's wrist with an irritated 'tsk',

Grell rubbed at his wrist with a little pout,” That's better... You should be ashamed, Will. That's no way to touch a lady.”

An uneasy silence passed between them for a moment. It was obvious that William was displeased with this new position of forced compromise, but Grell didn't care. He wasn't going to back down this time.

“William...” Grell broke the silence gently after a few moments, pouting up to him with large pleading eyes,” Walk me home...? Please?”

William gave an almost inaudible grumble of response at first,” I can't, I--”

“Like hell! “ Grell's expression had turned from pleading to fiery,” Paperwork, authorizations, forms be damned! It can wait! It can all wait until tomorrow. You do this too often, William! I'm tired of it! I'm tired of you always putting work first! For once, please... ~Please~... Put yourself first.”

Grell's face eased back into a gentle look, his eyes distant and sad again as he reached to gently fiddle with straightening William's tie. “I don't like it... When you work so much, and so long... I know we're shorthanded, but... just this once, won't you please let it not be your problem?”

Black-gloved fingers slid gently along the black tie, Grell's green eyes trembling a little as he waited for some acknowledgment of his plea. He honestly didn't expect to receive any, so he was quite startled when William broke the silence.

“If...” he spoke with the same stern expression he always wore,” If I agree to go home for the evening, will you give back my glasses?”

Grell stared up at the shinigami with large eyes. He slowly grinned, his hips giving a little wriggle of excitement,” Yes. Yes, I will gladly give you back your glasses.”

William remained silent, seeming to contemplate before he gave a gruff nod of begrudging agreement. It was more than enough for Grell to consider the evening an outstanding victory. True to his word, he retrieved the glasses from his pocket to return them, not caring at all about revealing his dishonest little trick. Gently he unfolded them, his fingertips on the rims as he gently raised them and slid them onto William's face. The red-head remained that way for some time, just gazing warmly up into the stoic stare of his superior with his fingertips caressing his glasses. William may have looked unamused, but Grell knew from many years' experience that this stare lacked a certain quality of iciness that was usually present. Emboldened by his victory, Grell softly cupped Will's face, pushing himself up onto his toes as he pressed gently into a purposeful kiss. The kiss lingered for several quiet seconds, and while William did not kiss back, he didn't pull away either. Grell seemed plenty pleased with the result, stroking lovingly down Will's cheek before he carefully and slowly pulled away, beaming proudly up at the other shinigami.

“Come. Home. With. Me. ~<3” Grell punctuated each word with a gentle poke to William's chest. He cast a sultry come-hither look as he traced a finger down his tie. The red-head seemed so pleased, he wasn't even daunted when William pushed past him wordlessly and made his way to his desk. Instead the crimson shinigami watched and waited patiently as William packed away his desk, taking the time to tidy it up and set up everything for immediate attention in the morning. Grell giggled brightly to himself and pranced over to wait by the door, quiet and obediently out of the way. William double-checked and triple-checked his desk, adjusting the location of his stamp and pen at least twice before reluctantly making his way to the door.

Grell continued to reward Will with his silence, though he moved swiftly to wrap his arms affectionately around Will's nearest arm as he passed, matching his stride giddily as he snuggled up to walk home affectionately. William was silent and did his best not to pay Grell any mind, but Grell knew much better than that. Grell knew better than to say anything, but he could tell that for the first time in a very very long time, William actually seemed sort of happy.


End file.
